Nicole Blum/ MicroMemphis reporter

With the holiday season right around the corner, the Memphis Police Department wants to remind the community that now is the time to "Stow it! Don't Show it!"

"Stow it! Don't Show it!" was launched by the MPD as a way to inform citizens about ways to protect themselves and their valuables from being victims of car burglaries.

Union Colonel Russell Houston said, "often times, thieves break into vehicles because they are tempted by valuables inadvertly left visible by the occupants of the vehicle."

CYCA President, June Hunt, said "we did actually do a safety campaign a few years ago about not leaving stuff in your car."

Hunt referred to the Cooper-Young campaign, "Don't be a Dick," that was featured in the Memphis Flyer. The campaign was a fun way to catch the community's attention, and remind them to hide valuables, instead of leaving them on the seats and in the floor of their cars.

The Memphis Police Department provided the total number of car burglaries in 2010 and 2011. The number is down compared to this time last year; Let's keep it that way!REMEMBER: Stow it! Don't Show it!

The following statistics were provided by the Memphis Police Department.

January 1, 2010-December 31, 2010 January 1st, 2011- YTD:

Nicole Blum/MicroMemphis Reporter

Nicole Blum is a senior broadcast journalism major. She is an intern at WMC-TV 5 and works in the Marketing department at the University of Memphis. Send her your story ideas and follow her on twitter: @N_Blum.